experiment in vitality: a choice you make to be true to yourself. Learn more.

To be perfectly honest, sometimes I worry that what I write about just sounds stupid to other people, especially when I am having fun writing (ouch). But I really like what author Shauna Niequist asks: What do you love even though no one else does?

I love sassy ladies, silliness, and art--high, low and everything in between. I love dogs. I love speaking candidly with friends about periods and poop.

I could focus on cooler interests: being outdoorsy or building our house. I value those things but they are not the stuff of my everyday imagination or my actual personality.

I comfort myself with the thought that no matter what I really love, there is someone else who thinks that is stupid.

I had wanted to dye my hair crazy colors forEVER, but I have always seemed to have school or a job that prevented me. When I did The Artist Way, making my hair crazy colors came up again and again in my morning pages. Coloring your hair is a pretty low-risk experiment, yet it felt somehow scary, like I was breaking the rules. When I saw bright hair dye for sale around Halloween, I decided it was time!

Experimenting takes off the pressure that makes us feel like imposters and failures for not knowing what the heck we're doing with our lives. It's grace and play and everything good and healthy for your soul, so I sure want you to have it. I hope this helps!

Step 1: Identify an area in your life in which you want to experiment...

While shopping at Goodwill for a tea set, I ran into a creamer and a dish with a rose pattern on them that shocked me. It was the same pattern as my plastic tea set as a child! Suddenly, I remembered that I used to love having tea parties as a kid. I had completely forgotten about this.

I want my thoughts to be transformed from reactionary snippets to deep meaning by having enough quiet processing time in my body, in my soul, before I share them. I feel protective of this alchemy that daily blogging and 24-hour news and tweeting just don't allow for.

I was afraid of spending time alone, in my mind, just me and my imagination. I didn't trust it. It was a relationship that needed serious repair. Like a beautiful, powerful horse that had ridden me off a cliff, we both felt skittish about being around each other again, let alone riding. All we could do is take it slow.

Our regular chatter dropped as we all became absorbed into our paintings. When we did talk, we spoke more slowly. I didn’t expect the rich conversation and relaxation that came with this craft for pre-schoolers.

The Artist's Way is a 12-week self-guided transformation in the form of a book by Julia Cameron. It is intended to help would-be artists get unblocked and start creating. You use 2 tools throughout the journey: Morning Pages and Artist Dates.